Abstract

THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUNARNAVADI YOG: AN AYURVEDIC POLYHERBAL ARKA FORMULATED FOR DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

*Dr. Mansoor Baddi

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy is a major, progressive complication of type 2 diabetes and a leading cause of preventable blindness, with current first-line treatment relying on costly, invasive intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy. This article documents the formulation-development and quality-control pathway for Punarnavadi Yog, a polyherbal Arka combining Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa), Haridra (Curcuma longa), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), and Devadaru (Cedrus deodara), conceived as a low-cost, plant-derived candidate for this indication. Drug selection was guided by classical Ayurvedic indications for shopha (inflammation), rakta dushti, and arbuda/granthi (abnormal tissue growth), together with reported modern pharmacology — including anti-angiogenic and VEGF-modulating activity attributed to punarnavine and curcumin. Raw drugs were authenticated and pharmacognostically standardised against Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) limits before hydroalcoholic Soxhlet extraction of each herb and proportionate (1:1:1:1) blending into a single Arka. The finished formulation was evaluated for physicochemical and microbiological quality at preparation and after one month of accelerated stability testing (40 ± 2°C / 75 ± 5% RH), meeting all pre-defined acceptance criteria with only marginal numerical drift. These findings establish that Punarnavadi Arka can be manufactured reproducibly to a consistent, stable, and sterile pharmaceutical standard, providing the foundational groundwork required before biological, toxicological, and clinical evaluation of the candidate can proceed.

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